New & Noteworthy

Remembering the Triangle Factory Fire

On March 25, 1911, a fire broke out in the Asch Building at the Triangle Waist Factory in New York City. In less than 20 minutes, 146 people had died, most of them young immigrant women. The subsequent national outcry led to changes in labor and safety laws. In remembrance of the 100th anniversary of this tragedy, explore its story and enduring legacy through this lesson plan from the City University of New York. Learn more.

Elementary

OurStory

The Smithsonian’s Museum of American History and the National Center for Family Literacy have teamed up on this website that combines literature, history and hands-on activities. Choose from 15 topics searchable by subject, activity type or time period. Learn more.

Middle

Trailing Lewis and Clark

Did Spain really send soldiers to stop Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery? If so, why? What other western expeditions did the United States plan? Who was the mysterious “Agent 13”? Find the answers to these intriguing questions in Ask a Historian! Read more.

High

What Do Students Learn from Historical Feature Films?

Showing a movie is a popular tool that history teachers use to immerse their students in a topic. Read what students actually learned in this study from the University of British Columbia and get tips on how to effectively use film in your next lesson. Learn more.

Historical Thinking

Teaching American History

My Lai Massacre Political Cartoon

How important are primary source materials when uncovering the complexities of the past? What do you do when sources conflict? Watch as historian Meredith Lair examines a 1971 political cartoon related to the My Lai Massacre in which U.S. troops killed Vietnamese civilians during the Vietnam War. Lair uses the cartoon to explore the incident, the subsequent trial, and public opinion of the time. She also looks at how important photography was in proving that the massacre happened and at the conflicting information offered in primary sources. View here.

Modeling Historical Thinking

How often have you listened to a great history lecture, only to wonder how you are going to distill it into the 20 minutes you have to cover the topic? Listen as Professors John Bieter and Kathleen Budge discuss how successful TAH grant projects focus on thinking skills as well as content. As historians modeled the historical thinking process, educators in the Boise State TAH project learned new skills for approaching history that they could share with their students. Watch here.